Train-signal apparatus.



J. S. ALLEN. TRAIN SIGNAL APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED 113.12, l191s.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

INVENTOR Judge 5. ./ZZaz M ATTOENEYS E25 FiF-5- 29 28 29 JM ,g /3 977 M THE NDRRIS PE7ER5 C0.. FHOT'O-LITHO.. WASHINGTCN. D4 C,

JUDGE SHIRLOCK ALLEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRAIN -SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Application filed February 12, 1913.

T0 all cli/0m it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JUDGE S. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Train-Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact descriptlon.

My invention has for its object to provide a train signal apparatus, in which the signal is thrown into danger position by mechanism operable by a weight when a train is on a certain section of the track, the weight being raised by a motor, when the train reaches the said section of the track, to throw the signal into safety position.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for stopping the motor, and for holding the weight raised when the motor has raised the weight to a predetermined height.

StillV other objects of the invention will appear in the following complete specification, in which the preferred form of the 1nvention is disclosed. l

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, in which- Figure l is an elevation, showing the signal post, parts being broken away, to show the means provided for operating the signal post; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view, showing the means provided for holding the weighted arm in position; Fig. 4 is an` enlarged fragmentary view, showing the means for cutting out the motor when the weighted arm hasvbeen raised to normal position; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the roller on the weighted arm, with which the pivoted hook engages; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view, showing the method of wiring.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that a hollow post 5 is provided, which `is disposed on a base 6, which rests on a casing 7, this casing 7, if desired, being disposedbelow the level ofthe ground. In the hollow post 5 there is journaled a vertical shaft 8, the lower terminal 9 of this vertical shaft 8 being journaled in a bearing 10 in a standard 11. Secured to the shaft 8 there is a beveled gear 12, with which meshes a bevel gear 13, secured to a shaft 14, journaled in a bearing 15. There is also secured to this shaft 14, a gear wheel Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. ie, 1915. seria1N0.747,se4. i

16, with which meshes a gear wheel 17, secured to a shaft 18, journaled in a bearing 19, in a standard 20. There is also secured to this shaft 18 a gearing 21, with which meshes a gear 22, secured tothe shaft 23, of the electric motor 24. It will therefore be seen that this motor 24 by the gear wheels. set forth is adapted to rotate the shaft 8 to which the signal means, which will be hereafter described, is secured. Secured to the shaft 14 there is an arm 25, having a weight 26 at its terminal, this arm 25, with its weight, serving to rotate the shaft 14, and by means of the beveled gears 13 and 12, rotate the shaft 8, so that the signal means mounted on the said shaft 8 may be moved to danger position, when the said weighted arm 25 is free torotate the saidvshaft 14.

As a means for holding the weighted arm 25 upward, I provide a hook member 27, which is adapted to engage a roller 28, which is ournaled in brackets 29, secured to the underside of the weighted arm 25. This constructionis shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The hook Vmember 27 is pivoted at 30 vtoY a 'bracket 31,' and pivoted to ,the hook member 27 there is an armature 32, the movementl of the armature 32 vrelatively to the hook member 27 being limited by the stops 33, which are secured to the said hook member 27. However, it will be understood l that the armature 32 has a slight movement relatively to the hook member 27, so that when the armature 32 falls, it will jar the hook member 27 free from the roller 28. The armature 32 isadapted to be held in the posi-tion shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings by the magnet 34.

By referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, it

will be seen that a track 35 has two rails 36 and 36a, and that a battery or other source of electric energy is connected by the wire 38 with one of the rails 36, and by the wire 39 with the other rail 36a. It will also be seen thatthe wire 40 connects the rails 36a with the magnet 34, a resistance 41 being connected with the wire 40, between the rail 36a and the said magnet 34. vIt will also be seen that a wire 42 connects the magnet 34 with the motor 24, and the wire 44 connects Vthe other pole of the motor 24 with the rail current will pass from the battery, or other source of electric energy, through the rail 36a, through the resistance 4l, the magnet 34, the switch 47, the wire 44, the rail 36, the wire 38 to the battery 37. This will energize the magnet 34 and hold the armature 32 upward with the hook member 27 engaging the roller 28, to hold the weighted arm 25 upward. This will hold the signal means to be hereafter described, in safety position, but when a car passes on the rails 36 and 36n on the section 35 of the track, the resistance 4l will prevent the current from passing to the magnet 34, and the current will pass from the battery, or other source of electrical energy, through the wire 39 to the rail 36, across the axle 46, from the rail 36a to the rail 36, and back to the wire 38. This will free the armature 32 from the influence of the magnet 34, and as the armature 32 falls, its slight movement relatively to the hook member 27 will jar the hook member 27 so that it will free itself from the roller 28, and permit the Weighted arm 25 to fall. This fall of the weighted arm 25 will rotate the shaft 8, to which the signal means are secured. When the weighted arm 25 falls, the switch 47 will be free to fall and open the short circuit through the switch 47 and around the motor 24 so that when the car having the axle 40 leaves the section 35 of the track, the short circuit made by the said axle will be removed, and the current will pass through the resistance 4l, the magnet 34, to operate the motor 24. This motor 24 will by the means described, rotate the shaft 8 and raise the weighted arm 25 for engagement of the roller 28 on the weighted arm 25 by the hook member 27. When the weighted arm is raised, the armature 32 will be held by the influence of the magnet 34 to retain the hook member 27 in position for supporting the weighted arm 25. When the weighted arm 25 reaches its uppermost position, it will press up the switch 47, to short circuit the motor 24, as will be seen by referring to the diagrammatic view, shown in Fig. 6. The current owing to the motor energizes the magnet and when the hook member 27 is returned to normal position, after being pushed aside by the upward passage of the weighted arm 25 the armature 32 will be held by the magnet 34. In this way the magnet 34 will, by means of the armature 32, hold the hook member 27 in position to retain the weighted arm 25 in its uppermost position, until another car, having an axle 46, passes into the section 35 of the track, when the current will again be short circuited by the said axle 46, to denergize the magnet 34, and permit the weighted arm 25 to again fall. The switch 47 is shown in detail in Fig. 4, the dotted lines showing the position of the switch when it is raised to short circuit the motor.

Secured to the shaft 8 there is a cap or hood 64, this cap or hood 64 having a top 65. The sides 68 of this hood 64 diverge downwardly a considerable distance with their lower portion 69 forming an apron. Secured to the top of the hood 64 there is a signal blade 77, this signal blade 77 extending from one side of the hood 64, an arm 78 being provided, which is also secured to the top 65 of the hood 64, this arm 78 extending from the other side of the hood. This arm is provided for engaging a member on the cab of a locomotive, for operating any approved mechanism thereon, for sounding a signal, applying the brakes, or cutting off the power in the locomotive.

By reference to Fig. 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that when the current is not short circuited, the current will energize the magnet 34, to hold the weighted arm 35 raised, and when in this position the signal blade 77 and the arm 78 will be disposed substantially parallel with the track. However, when a train runs into the section 35 of the track, the current will be short circuited, and the magnet 34 will be denergized, which will permit the arm 25 to fall, to rotate the shaft one quarter revolution, which will move the signal blade 7 7 and the arm 78 at right angles to the track.

When the train which has moved into the section 35 of the track leaves the said section, the current will again energize the magnet 34, and will operate the motor, as the switch 47 has been permitted to fall when the weighted arm 25 moved downward. This motor 24 will therefore raise the weighted arm 25, which will short circuit the motor, as has been explained, the weighted arm 25 being held in position by the action of the magnet 34 on the armature 32, until the current is again short circuited by the movement of the train into the section 35 of the track.

Having thus described my invention, ll claim as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l.-Tn a train signal apparatus, a signal means, a weight for moving the signal means in one direction, a motor for moving the signal means in the opposite direction, a pivoted hook depending from its pivot and positioned for engaging and supporting the weight under normal conditions, an armature carriedby the hook, a magnet for attracting the armature, a circuit connecting the magnet and the motor, and a switch in the circuit operable by the weight.

2. In a train signal apparatus, a signal, a shaft, means connecting the shaft with the signal for operating the latter, a weighted arm secured to the shaft, electrically operated means for raising the weighted arm, a pivoted hook Vdepending from its pivot in position for engaging the weighted arm, an armature pivoted to the hook, stops for limiting the movement of the armature relatively to the Weighted arm, and a magnet for attracting the armature.

3. In a train signal apparatus, a signal, a shaft, means'connecting the shaft with the signal for operating the latter, a Weighted arm secured to the shaft, electrically operated means for raising the Weighted arm, a hook normally engaging the Weighted arm, an armature on the hook, a magnet for attracting the armature, a circuit connected with the motor, and a pivoted switch in the circuit and disposed in the path of the Weighted arm to open the circuit by the up- Ward movement of the Weighted arm.

4L. In a train signal apparatus, a signal, a shaft, means by which the shaft is adapted for operating the signal, a Weighted arm secured for rotating the shaft, a hook for engaging and holding the arm in raised position, an armature pivoted to the hook and having a limited movement relatively Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the thereto, and a magnet for holding the armature With the hook in operative position.

5. In a train signal apparatus, a signal, means for operating the signal, a Weighted arm connected for moving With the means, a motor for operating the means, a pivoted hook engaging the arm, an armature pivoted to the arm and having a limited movement relatively thereto, a magnet for coperating with the armature for holding the hook in operative position, Wires connecting the motor and the magnet for operating the motor and energizing the magnet, and means for cutting off the current to the motor When the arm is in raised position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tvvo subscribing Witnesses.

JUDGE SHIRLOCK ALLEN.

Witnesses: Y

EVERARD B. MARSHALL, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. C. 

